1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a structural channel connector and, more particularly, to a connector for use with storage rack structures and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is an industrial need for storage facilities capable of holding heavy loads. Since the quantity and size of the objects which are being stored may vary from time to time, the spatial dimensions of the rack should be variable so that it can accommodate whatever size material it is called upon to receive. Also, the arms must be capable of resisting slippage or deformation. Furthermore, when several varieties of related materials are to be stored, the storage racks must be capable of being adjusted easily to the extent that supporting arms can be added to the rack or taken away to separately accommodate additional quantities of material.
It is known in this art that a vertical column in the nature of an I-beam attached to a suitable base can be provided with a readily adjustable horizontal cantilever arm to provide a storage rack of considerable strength and versatility, such rack being capable of having additional cantilever arms applied from time to time as needed. The cantilever arms are readily adjustable and are equipped with members whose vertically disposed and opposing channels frictionally engage the flanges of an I-beam type vertical column to provide a support arm of appreciable strength and stability. This type of cantilever rack is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,335,992 and 3,489,291; it is readily adjustable to various heights while at the same time allowing for the addition of a plurality of superimposed arms without having to remove the arms or slip them over the top of the column.
One area of technical design which has received attention in rack structure assemblies is the design of the clamp for connecting the cantilever arm to the column. As tapered-flange I-beam columns were replaced with parallel-flange columns, the need arose for a connector or clamp which could overcome the inherent weakness in the parallel-flange structure. Such a clamp would have to be capable of securely holding heavy loads and, at the same time, be easily maneuverable along the column to adjust the height of the arm. One exemplary clamp that addresses these and other problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,512 issued to D. Frazier et al. on May 28, 1985. The connector therein described comprises a U-shaped channel having a web portion and a pair of flange portions. A pair of trapezoidshaped cut-outs are formed in the web, where the trapezoids are used to engage the flange portions of the associated column at a medial location, reducing the weakness problem inherent in parallel-flange columns. Although this connector overcomes the problems of the prior art, the structure is rather difficult to manufacture and the trapezoid shapes must be modified when necessary to connect to columns of different dimensions. These difficulties thus reduce the design flexibility of the connector and, as a result, add significant cost when a new connector must be developed to be used with a different size rack structure.
Thus, a need remains in the art for a connector design that is relatively easy to manufacture and flexible in design, while remaining useful in the areas described above.